Confession time...

This thread was in part inspired by hawkychick and our discussion about hydration packs. Her last response was to the effect that she was going to need a new pack I can so relate to this. How many of you feel compelled to get the latest and greatest thing in clothing or accessories or components? Do you have a limit on how much you'd spend so you can justify it to yourself (why you just spent $130 on a new pack when you technically have two perfectly good packs at home)? It's not like you were buying a $950 fork...right? I was going through a bag of bike clothes yesterday I keep in my car, and realized how much more I had at home. The funny thing is, I couldn't care less about my regular wardrobe, but buying bike clothes is another story. High-heeled shoes? Forget it. But, ooh, did you see that new pair of 5.10's they just came out with? Aren't hydration packs kind of like purses - but more useful? So, why shouldn't you have more than one? Do you find yourself trying to color-coordinate your clothes, helmet, and pack? Okay, girls, 'fess up, what are you "guilty" of doing?

Sooooooo true, although my current obsession is with lightening my bikes. I'm about as far as I can go without replacing the fork & drivetrain on the FS, but my commuter needs serious weight weenie attention. I can't help it, it's a sickness & it's very chronic. I just bought yet another pair of shoes (5-10 Guide Tennies, loving them so far), pedals for the commuter, a lighter seatpost collar for the FS, new skewers for both, a new/better lock, bars & stem for the commuter......when will the madness end? (I tell myself that I'm helping to end the recession.)

I tend to do that with running or biking clothes & accessories but you can't get me to care about a purse or dress shoes. Heck, even anything fancier than a pony tail is tuff to imagine for my hair!
But yeah, I can't have too many running shoes(I have 4 pair I rotate currently and 3 in the que!) or bike water bottles(sorry, not a hydration pack fan) or cycling caps, etc. And each bike has to have matchy matchy bling. But try and get me to care about my lack of a matching bedroom set or college like livingroom furniture.....good thing my hubby shares my lack of passion with furnishings and dress clothes!
He spends cash on gaming cards and computers, I spend it on athletic stuff.

I guess we each have our vices. I don't think anything of dropping $75 on anodized Ti skewers for my new ride but get me to spend $20 on bathroom towels is like pulling teeth! Forget matching sheets, I don't think I have had a set that matched since I was a kid!

My confession: I have way as in waaaaaaaaaay too much light. Having lights for my bike is how I get my fix. The excuse I have for my lights is for my daily commute in the dark and my for trail riding at night. Otherwise I really don't have enough bikes for all my lights.

I find my need to buy jacket has diminshed greatly after the great discovery of simply wearing my cycling jacket everywhere on or off my bike. Luckily for me the dress code at work is almost none existent and I don't need to spend >$50 for some jacket when I can spend >$75 for a cycling jacket.

I don't care too much for style and matching when it comes to cycling beside the simpler the better.......however I have been thinking it would be nice if someone out there will make a helmet with the Coach logo with the "C" signature fabric covering the helmet in the Khaki color. Now wouldn't that be nice for wearing out in public while riding my commuter bike?

I have a soft spot for jackets (softshells for winter, Showers Pass for rain), caps/hats for cycling (winter, rain, etc.), and wool (T's to longsleeve) on sale. I am OK wth retail at the LBS for bike parts, but I draw the line at clothes and other stuff, and am a gearscan.com addict. Some good deals on geartrade.com too; someone returned shorts after trying them on? Last year's color? Crazy cheap? I'm there.

I have spent plenty on lights, mostly for commuting in winter, but spend little on gas.

Tires? Good studded tires for the MTB & fatbike are $$$$, but totally worth it for saving my a$$$$.

I find myself always wanting more bikes because they all have different suitabilities. A fat bike would be awesome for late fall/winter/early spring when flotation would come in handy and have less impact on wet trails. One of the guys I ride with got a Moonlander last year and he was just astounded at how well it handled all the slop and you couldn't even tell he'd been on the trail. He left no ruts behind and rode when the rest of us couldn't. I also like the idea of using them for bikepacking. So a fat bike is definitely on my list. I also long for a more aggressive, longer-travel bike that I could use for possible light downhilling or take places where more travel is in order. Since I don't know how often I would actually get to lift-serviced trails, I would need to be able to pedal it uphill. I don't climb like a billy goat and am never the first one up, so that's not a concern. And then, there's the idea of a park/dirt jumper. We have an indoor park a little over an hour from where I live now and it's really geared toward that type of bike, more than a mountain bike. People are always asking how many bikes do I have and how many do I need? I guess you really only *need* one...but would it be as fun calling it into a service it wasn't intended for? The thing with bikes is you need to drop a lot of coin all at once, making them less of a risk for impulse-buying. Clothes and gear are another story entirely. It's bad enough I love to color-coordinate stuff on my bikes...but now it's expanding toward my clothes and packs! It's like, oooh, those shorts and jersey would look awesome with my pack, AND my bike.

I tend to be pretty frugal, so I rarely need to justify purchase of anything. And while it is tempting to spend (and spend and spend) on bike stuff- since of course "I know I will use it"- I honestly cannot force myself to buy more jerseys because I have plenty. Even if the ones I have aren't the latest and cutest designs, I can't talk myself into buying more, especially at the prices that retailers ask (seriously- $60 to $70?). I take care of the ones I have and they last forever. I still have the first jersey I ever got- it is 13 years old and still has lots of years left in it.
I buy a new pair of shorts or two every year because those really do wear out. I have less problem with the cost because of the utility, but I still buy only on sale and will never shell out the money that Assos or other "high end" manufacturers charge. Sugoi is good enough for me.
As for bike parts, I replace what gets worn out. Though I will occasionally splurge for a "fun" part (like a Salsa seat-post clamp or a bell) I would rather spend money to have a drive train that works well.
I took a good look around at my home in the last few months and decided that I have too much stuff. Even if it is stuff you like, such as cycling or athletic gear, there has to be a limit. So am trying to be a smarter consumer and use my money wisely, and stop weighing myself down with stuff I don't need. I love cycling, but you really don't NEED a lot of gear to do it. Just a bike, some accessories, and a trail.

I tend to be pretty frugal, so I rarely need to justify purchase of anything. And while it is tempting to spend (and spend and spend) on bike stuff- since of course "I know I will use it"- I honestly cannot force myself to buy more jerseys because I have plenty. Even if the ones I have aren't the latest and cutest designs, I can't talk myself into buying more, especially at the prices that retailers ask (seriously- $60 to $70?). I take care of the ones I have and they last forever. I still have the first jersey I ever got- it is 13 years old and still has lots of years left in it.
I buy a new pair of shorts or two every year because those really do wear out. I have less problem with the cost because of the utility, but I still buy only on sale and will never shell out the money that Assos or other "high end" manufacturers charge. Sugoi is good enough for me.
As for bike parts, I replace what gets worn out. Though I will occasionally splurge for a "fun" part (like a Salsa seat-post clamp or a bell) I would rather spend money to have a drive train that works well.
I took a good look around at my home in the last few months and decided that I have too much stuff. Even if it is stuff you like, such as cycling or athletic gear, there has to be a limit. So am trying to be a smarter consumer and use my money wisely, and stop weighing myself down with stuff I don't need. I love cycling, but you really don't NEED a lot of gear to do it. Just a bike, some accessories, and a trail.

I'm a bargain shopper, too, and am always scanning the sales. You can often find lots of great stuff at the thrift shops, too. I've found jerseys and got a pair of men's swim trunks (the long ones with no liner) that are perfect for mtb. My liners fit right inside and the length is perfect. I refuse to pay full price for any clothing, but I do window shop a lot. Other gear/components have also been mostly purchased on sale. I haven't purchased any parts in several months (nothing short of a miracle for me) and am content now with what my bikes are "wearing" and instead concentrate more on what I am wearing .

I'm a bargain shopper, too, and am always scanning the sales. You can often find lots of great stuff at the thrift shops, too. I've found jerseys and got a pair of men's swim trunks (the long ones with no liner) that are perfect for mtb. My liners fit right inside and the length is perfect. I refuse to pay full price for any clothing, but I do window shop a lot. Other gear/components have also been mostly purchased on sale. I haven't purchased any parts in several months (nothing short of a miracle for me) and am content now with what my bikes are "wearing" and instead concentrate more on what I am wearing .

I think you may have missed a key part of my post, which was "too much stuff". Even if you buy it on sale, or at the thrift store, you still are shelling out your HARD-EARNED money for something you don't really need. Matching your hydration pack to your socks doesn't make you any better of a rider, or make your ride more fun.

Consumerism is an American disease. But you don't have to catch it. And you can recover from it!

I think you may have missed a key part of my post, which was "too much stuff". Even if you buy it on sale, or at the thrift store, you still are shelling out your HARD-EARNED money for something you don't really need. Matching your hydration pack to your socks doesn't make you any better of a rider, or make your ride more fun.

Consumerism is an American disease. But you don't have to catch it. And you can recover from it!

No, I got your point, and you did raise a good one. I wasn't trying to imply I'm overrun with "stuff"...just wanted to see what other people find themselves spending money on for this sport, instead of other things. People often accessorize their outfits with shoes and purses, etc. I was curious to see if people find themselves doing that for biking instead. You are right about the amount of money that gets spent on unnecessary items and I can't tell you how many times I've held back on purchasing something because it wasn't really needed. But, that being said, when I do have extra money and want to treat myself to something - it's almost always on a bike-related purchase. Do people really need that many hydration packs, or shoes, or jerseys? No, but it's no different than anything else people choose to spend their money on. I don't necessarily think there is anything wrong with matching things, if you can afford to do so and other responsibilities have been met first. I don't do it thinking it makes me look like a better rider or my ride more fun. I just enjoy it.

It feels good to have new stuff. I can never have too many socks or jerseys etc. But the expense sure adds up so I do have to think carefully about every purchase and determine whether I need or whether I want something

I'm involved in trail riding, DH, road cycling and yoga (xc and dh skiing) and I feel I need the "right" stuff for the right activity. In addition I ride all 4 seasons so I'm always on the look out for outerwear, shoes, boots, bike parts (tires etc),

I'm involved in trail riding, DH, road cycling and yoga (xc and dh skiing) and I feel I need the "right" stuff for the right activity. In addition I ride all 4 seasons so I'm always on the look out for outerwear, shoes, boots, bike parts (tires etc),

I'm glad I got that off my chest

Exactly! I also try to ride as much as possible during the winter months and so have warmer clothes for that purpose. The base layers I use for biking I also use for xc skiing. This includes ski socks - I will wear them over my tights but under my capris. I find capris with ski socks the best for cooler days. I'm always experimenting with what works and what I find to be the most comfortable.

Bed: King mattress on two box springs. No headboard. Dressers don't match.
Bikes: Jekyll & Yeti ASR5-C
Nuff said.
Not big on matching but could easily be obsessed with stuff....ooooh love those pedals...
Thankfully have very little "shopping" time in my schedule!

my mom always likes to call me "cheap" because i scour discount stores and sites when it comes to buying "other" stuff. But i have to remind her she'd probably never buy a multi-k bike. I still look for discount stuff when it comes to bikes, but i'm not "cheap" in that arena. I havent gone as far as to spend a ton of money on carbon yet, i just feel like it's a "tad" irrisponsible in my life right now

Having the right gear is great, and in some cases really makes a comfort/performance difference. However, I also like to see how much crossover use I can get out of items, or what kind of inexpensive alternative I can find that works just as well. An example is these Champion Duo-Dry shirts I get at Target for $9.99. It's some sort of wicking material that feels almost like cotton but is great to wear for any summer outdoor sport. Or, I wear my knee length ski socks and XC ski gloves in colder biking weather.

I've started to get obsessed with socks... which is funny, because I can really only wear one pair at a time, and tend to save all my "cool socks" for when I'm on the bike.

I use to be a junky for jerseys and other gear, but then I got on a team so I really didn't have a need to keep buying different jerseys as I had the team gear that I am obligated to wear. So I've sold off some stuff, along with shorts that no longer fit me since I lost weight.

The biggest thing for me is the bikes themselves. I have MTB, road, TT, and cyclocross bikes. Just had to have one from every category! I've only had my Epic since February, but now I'm tempted to lay down an order for an Epic Expert World Cup, though I really have no need to upgrade.

The hardest thing for me is deciding which ones to wear when I race. I think some socks have bad karma so I avoid them for races. I wore black/blue striped socks with lime green lightning bolts on them for nationals, and did quite well so they're my new lucky socks! Runner ups are my Vanderkitten ones. My bad karma ones have a T-rex riding a mountain bike on them - have never done well at races when wearing them. Clearly I put way too much thought into my socks!

Im just getting back into the sport after quitting when I was a teenager. In all other aspects of my life if it isnt Purple...I dont want it! But when looking for a bike I told myself that color doesn't matter. I was wrong. I went to the LBS looking to special order a bike but decided against it when the color I wanted wasn't available. I then took 2 more hours looking at other in stock bikes before finally deciding on one I liked. Its a Black, White, and Lime Green Cannondale Trail 7. Its less of a bike than I was after, but in the end...it was almost 200 cheaper, and I know I haven't ridden in over a decade but when testing them, I really didn't notice a difference.

Now that I have the bike, I needed pants, and a jersey. NBD right? Oh yes! BIG DEAL! Purple and Green go well together, but there couldn't be too much green, or too much purple. Took me a week to find one I liked! [Hill Killer]

I knew from the start that the first upgrade to my baby would be the pedals, gotta get rid of the plastic! But are any anodized in the same green the rest of my parts are? OF COURSE NOT! Same with lights (I commute at night) they come in every color casing but the one Im want! Oh ya, and Im still looking for a helmet!

I did however manage to get my hands on a purple pack, AND it has green details! CamelBak has my heart right now!

Confession time...

The hardest thing for me is deciding which ones to wear when I race. I think some socks have bad karma so I avoid them for races. I wore black/blue striped socks with lime green lightning bolts on them for nationals, and did quite well so they're my new lucky socks! Runner ups are my Vanderkitten ones. My bad karma ones have a T-rex riding a mountain bike on them - have never done well at races when wearing them. Clearly I put way too much thought into my socks!

A LBS near me has them, it is basically their shop slogan! If you want some, I would be more than willing to go get you some, and mail them to you! I'll see if I can take a photo of the ones I just got and post them